MIT Resources for Women

Past and future programming

• International Women’s Day tabling: asking Sloanies to respond to prompts about why they are impressed by the women of Sloan, and how they will help create an equitable and inclusive environment at Sloan and in the workplace
• Equal Pay Day tabling: raising awareness of the pay gaps that exist in the United State for women and other marginalized groups
• Lean In circles in partnership with SWIM: small group discussions about gender in the workplace
• Speaker events: inviting relevant speakers to discuss research, experience, opinions, etc. about gender in the workplace
• Events in partnership with other Sloan groups: events that touch on the theme of gender in the workplace in partnership with other Sloan clubs such as the Microbrewers Club, Wine Club, industry specific clubs, etc.

Institute-wide Associations and Programs

• Association of MIT Alumnae
  An independent, non-profit group dedicated to promoting connections among alumnae and the Institute; hosting activities that facilitate these connections; supporting women on campus and encouraging their high achievement; and maintaining relationships with the Institute that support MIT’s constructive role in society.
• Women@MIT
  This mentorship program exists to connect undergraduate women students to one of MIT’s most valuable resources — its graduate women student community, which include master’s, doctoral, post-doc, MBAs, and Sloan students. Pairs will be able to meet informally and discuss whatever they want, from academics and MIT to what comes after school to relationships to professional development to leading with integrity. This program seeks to match undergrads and grads on mutual interests, both academic and extracurricular, in the hopes of facilitating the growth of a fun, informative, and supportive relationship.
• Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT)
  A student-led organization dedicated to the personal and professional development of women graduate students at MIT. As a subcommittee of the Graduate Student Council, we provide a unified voice for MIT’s graduate women. All members of MIT are welcome to become GWAMIT members and attend our events! Learn more
• Women’s Advisory Group
  Its members are selected from various cohorts and from various areas of the Institute. Convened quarterly by the Ombuds Office, the committee advises on areas of concern to the constituent groups and serves as a communications link across campus.
• MIT Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
  Striving to inspire younger generations about engineering, encourage the notion of diversity in engineering, and determine and advocate for the needs of women engineers at MIT and the broader community.
• MIT Women’s League
  A social and service organization founded in 1913 to foster connections among women at the Institute. The more than 1,400 women currently identified as members represent a broad range of ages, cultures, talents, and roles in the MIT community. Their diversity enriches their experiences and strengthens the League. The League offers Institute women opportunities to participate in a wide variety of programs and projects. All newcomers, whether new to the Institute or new to awareness of the League, are welcome.
• MWL English Conversation Classes
  Offers friendly and affordable english conversation classes for women in the MIT international community. Classes meet on campus from 9:15–11 am, Tuesdays and Thursdays, through the academic year.
• MWL MIT Women’s League Scholarships
  Annually supports from one to three women undergraduates. Funds for this award are generated through endowment income and proceeds from the Furniture Exchange and craft fairs.
• Hack for Inclusion
  Breaking the Mold and Hacking Discrimination are partnering to create Hack for Inclusion — a hackathon to combat bias. Together, we will have a greater impact on students, businesses and communities.
• My Sister’s Keeper
  A collaborative initiative that is designed to help support the continued success of MIT’s black women students.

Conferences

• MIT Women’s unConference
  Connecting alumnae to the Institute and to one another, to celebrate their leadership, careers, talents and interests, and to “complete the equation” for some of the toughest challenges facing women in the world today.
• Leadership Conference
  Seeks to provide graduate women with the opportunity to gain communication and leadership skills. The organizing committee comprises women from across MIT departments and has invited top experts to share advice.
• Women in Data Science (WiDS) Conference
  This one-day technical conference will bring together local academic leaders, industrial professionals and students to hear about the latest data science-related research in a number of domains, to learn how leading-edge companies are leveraging data science for success, and to connect with potential mentors, collaborators, and others in the field.

Departmental Programs

• Course 1: CEE Rising Stars
  Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT invites top early career women in CEE and related domains (e.g. materials, systems, or environmental science) who are interested in careers in academia to apply to the CEE Rising Stars Workshop to be held on the MIT campus.
• Course 2: Mechanical Engineering Graduate Association of Women
  Our goal is to foster life-long friendships, mentor new women students, help them lead an enriching graduate school life and assist with their personal and professional goals.
• Course 5: Women in Chemistry 
  A group of graduate students dedicated to making the Chemistry graduate program at MIT more fun and fulfilling for female graduate students and postdoctoral fellows by facilitating connections with the greater community; hosting social events; creating a forum for discussion about gender issues in science.
• Course 6: Women in EECS
  Our mission is the build a community for women in EECS that supports, encourages, and empowers them to succeed. Programs include panels and discussions, lightning talks, social mixers, mentorship programs, faculty dinners, and skills workshops.
• Course 6: Graduate Women in Course 6 
  To provide EECS graduate women with an environment in which to develop mentorships and friendships and to gain support and encouragement in completing their degree.
• Course 6: Rising Stars in EECS
  An intensive workshop for women graduate students and postdocs who are interested in pursuing academic careers.
• Course 8: Graduate Women in Physics
  Aims to foster community among women-identified physics graduate students at MIT and provide advice on career development and navigating daily life as a woman in physics. We share casual meals every two weeks. Our faculty advisor, Prof. Anna Frebel, leads a series of career development workshops. We also run a mentoring program with the MIT Undergraduate Women in Physics and have regular joint social events with them. Other outreach activities include volunteering with MIT’s Splash!, the MIT Museum (Girls Day, Science on Saturday), and Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics.
• Course 8: Rising Stars in Physics
  This workshop will bring the next generation of physics academic leaders together for two days of scientific discussions and informal sessions aimed at navigating the early stages of the academic career.
• Course 10: Chemical Engineering Rising Stars
  Invites top early career women who are interested in faculty careers in Chemical Engineering to apply to the ChemE Rising Stars Workshop to be held on the MIT campus.
• Course 10 & 20: Rising Stars in Biomedical
  This career development workshop aims to bring together top female and under-represented minority postdocs and senior graduate students whose research focuses on biomedical applications. The program includes technical talks, panels and discussions with faculty, researchers from Boston area clinical labs and industry.
• Course 12: Women in Course 12 
  An organization dedicated to fostering a welcoming, supportive community for everyone in EAPS.
• Course 15: Sloan Women in Management (SWIM)
  Works to increase opportunities for all women at MIT Sloan through networking events, speaker series, professional development workshops, and mentorship programs.
• Course 15: MIT Women Business Leaders 
  Establishes a network of women undergraduates, faculty, alumnae and professionals to empower women in their business endeavors and support them in the development of their careers. We support our members in their personal and professional pursuits during and after their years at MIT.
• Course 16: Graduate Women in Aerospace Engineering
  A student group for graduate women in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Our goal is to build a community and encourage relationships between graduate women in aerospace engineering, women faculty in the department, and women throughout MIT.
• Course 18: Women in Mathematics @ MIT (WIM)
  This website celebrates the many female students, postdocs, and professors of mathematics at MIT. Here, we showcase our mathematicians’ new projects and achievements. Current and prospective students will find news, upcoming lecture series, and ample resources. Alumnae can reconnect and stay updated.
• Course 22: Women in Nuclear Science & Engineering
  An association of women faculty and staff, post-docs, graduate and undergraduate students within the MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering. Our purpose is to promote the personal and professional development of NSE women, enhance the network between NSE women and alumni, and create opportunities for connection and collaborations between faculty, post-doc, graduate and undergraduate women in NSE.
• WGS: MIT Women’s and Gender Studies Program
  Educating MIT students about the importance of gender equity, and to promote critical thinking about the role of gender across disciplines and in all areas of life.

Other Programs

• Margaret Cheney Room
  Founded in 1884 in recognition of the fact that women have traditionally been denied a safe space of their own, especially in the STEM fields. In light of its founding mission, the Cheney Room exists to promote community and empower all students at MIT who experience gender-based systems of oppression. This includes (but is not limited to) self-identified women, transgender women, and non-binary individuals.
• MIT Women’s Initiative
  High school girls are taking high-level math and science courses — with the exception of physics and engineering — at similar rates as their male peers. However, gender disparities begin to emerge at the undergraduate level, where men outnumber women in many STEM fields. MIT Women’s Initiative is working to change this, one presentation at a time.
• Women’s Technology Program
  A rigorous four-week summer academic and residential experience where female high school students explore engineering through hands-on classes, labs, and team-based projects in the summer after 11th grade.

If you know of a program that should be included on this list, please let us know.